Vetcot - Veterinary Committee on Trauma

12/09/2025

We couldn't agree more! We are hard at work making it the best VetCOT Conference yet. Come join us in Vegas in April 2026

10/06/2025

Becoming a Veterinary Trauma Center is not easy. And staying requires a committment from the whole team to improve trauma patient care. We are so proud of the work that Maine Veterinary Medical Center is doing to provide advanced and compassionate care for pets.

💚As a longstanding member of the Vetcot network and VECCs, our hospital continues to benefit from collaborative excellence in veterinary specialty and emergency medicine. 💚

Our affiliation provides:
-Access to advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies
-Knowledge-sharing with specialists across multiple disciplines
-Ongoing professional development and clinical best practices
-Comprehensive emergency and specialty care resources

This partnership reinforces our commitment to delivering the highest standard of veterinary care to our community, backed by a network dedicated to advancing the field.

Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society

10/06/2025

The open access ACVECC Veterinary Committee on Trauma Registry Report 2022–2023 report is out in JVECC! The paper by Wedig et al. features innovative graphics combining number of cases and fatality by trauma type, giving a totally new look to the demographics of trauma.

Here is a sneak peek at the data in dogs! The inner circle represents trauma type, and outer sections represent trauma subtype. Fatality rate is depicted as a color scale from dark purple (0% fatality) to bright yellow (25%) fatality.

Link to the full registry report: https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy2.library.colostate.edu/share/SZRCIAQAM4EPTKUIQEEX?target=10.1111/vec.70026

04/12/2025

The primary survey of the VetATLS debuts this weekend! If you're at VetCOT, check out your bookmarks to get a sneak peek at the FREE primary survey module: vetcot.org/vetatls

04/10/2025

We are debuting the Veterinary Advanced Trauma Life Support Course at the VetCOT conference this year. The Primary Survey and Module 1: Initial Assessment and Management are available now!

Check out the course here: https://vetcot.org/vetatls/

04/07/2025

📣 It’s officially VetCOT Conference Week!

We’re kicking off three days of connection, cutting-edge trauma education, and celebration of the veterinary professionals that improve trauma patient care.

Stay tuned here for behind-the-scenes moments, top trauma tips, and speaker spotlights!

🩺🐾

09/18/2024

Translational medicine is trauma medicine:

The study, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, was designed to test a new type of blood product — a novel treatment that might eventually help both dogs and human soldiers on the battlefield.

06/10/2024

The translation potential of canine trauma research is highlighted in a new article, authored by VetCOT founder Dr. Kelly Hall and the Translational Trauma Research Alliance (TeTRA-Med), Check out the article and let us know if you would like to be a part of TeTRA-Med!

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38715566/

02/21/2024

Did you attend our quarterly Trauma Talk last month?

Dr. Lily Parkinson, DACZM, DACVECC discussed how to triage and stabilize non-domestic animals.

If not, check out the link to watch: https://echo360.org/media/f8752ad7-302e-40e9-b8e2-805e732f41e7/public

10/19/2023

VetCOT's first annual Animal Heroes event (AKA the Trauma Ball).

Check out the inspiration for the event Zoe in her perfect Wonder Dog uniform. She is a vehicular trauma survivor who was the first enrolled dog in a key clinical trial for trauma.

Thanks CSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and Translational Medicine Institute for hosting our friends, colleagues, and supporters!

08/14/2023

What are the most common surgical procedures that cats need after a traumatic injury? See the figure above and check out the primary paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37120709/

08/10/2023

Great tips to move a pet if they have experienced trauma.

If your pet is ever injured and unable to walk, transporting them to the emergency vet can be a challenge. Here are some tips if you need to urgently and carefully move your pet to get them medical attention:

🚑 Towels, blankets, bedsheets, or pet beds can double as a pet stretcher to carry and lift your pet into the car carefully.
🚑 If you live alone and have a large dog breed, you could invest in a wheeled pet stretcher or wagon to have on hand just in case.
🚑 Injured animals are more likely to bite or claw out of fear or pain so be careful when moving your pet. For dogs, you may need to use a temporary muzzle to prevent a bite injury. For cats, it is best to approach them from behind and wrap them in a thick towel or blanket to protect yourself from biting or scratching.
🚑 Cats can be easier to put in a carrier rump-end first, because they can't use all four legs to brace against the carrier. Save some stress by turning them around.
🚑 Handle the injured pet as little as possible to prevent further injury to the them or yourself.
🚑 Call the emergency vet to alert them you are on the way so they can prepare for your arrival.

If you experience an emergency with your pet contact Pacific Northwest Pet ER and Specialty Center at (360) 635-5302. Save our contact information to easily and quickly call us in the case of an emergency.